Sorted, arranged and presented: creating distinctive infographics

You’ll no doubt have noticed the increasing popularity of infographics both in print and online over the past few years.

This is a product of two important trends in the world of content – the growing use of storytelling techniques and the rise of data gathering and analysis.

Infographics, when done well, combine visual storytelling with data presentation to make information more accessible and to deliver content in fresh and compelling ways. However, getting it right is notoriously tricky so we’ve put together eight tips to help you create great infographics that will get you noticed.

1. Take time to planMost infographics involve multiple elements that share a common theme. Before throwing yourself into the creative process, spend some time planning how you’ll link these elements together and consider the formats – graphs, flowcharts, diagrams, maps – that might work best. Use a wireframe to sketch out your ideas and only start designing once you’re happy that all the elements are in place. This is also a good time to think about how your infographic will work as part of your brand identity or a wider campaign.

2. Maximise value and reachROI looms large on every marketeer’s agenda, so squeezing every last drop of value from the visual assets is vital. Ask yourself: can they be animated to create a mini-movie? Could you re-purpose the assets to create a Prezi presentation? Can the visual narrative be chapterised to feed into an ongoing social media campaign?

4. Keep it simpleTelling a good story is often as much about what you leave out as what you put in. If you find things are becoming cluttered ask yourself if you’re including anything that doesn’t serve the story – or if your busy infographic would work better as a series. Also resist the temptation to use complicated graphical devices for the sake of it. The humble pie chart (if it’s good enough for Florence Nightingale…) or other more conventional graphs and charts can often be the best way to communicate complex data in a simple way.

5. Make your assets your ownWhile it’s now possible to choose from a range of off-the-shelf clip art assets – and these library images can save lots of time – there is the risk that your infographics end up looking the same as everyone else’s. This is where a little tweaking can go a long way. If you don’t have the time or resources to create bespoke assets, customising your library images to fit your needs will help ensure your work stands out.

6. Know your audience and the competitionA little research should reveal some clues to the kind of visual content your audience likes and shares. It should also help identify where there may be gaps that you can exploit to surprise them. We would also recommend a competitor audit to ensure the content you create is distinct from your peers.

7. Don’t forget about colourColour is an important but often overlooked ingredient in creating a successful infographic. Start thinking about colour at the planning stage and make sure you set a simple and distinctive colour logic for your work. In particular you need to make sure your background colour complements (rather than dominates) your text and graphics and that your colour choices are aligned with your brand.

8. Share the loveInfographics are particularly suited to social media and are often shared widely. But it doesn’t happen by accident. Make sure you ask people to share your work and use social plug-ins to make it easy for them to do so. Another useful trick is to include an embed code so people can easily host your infographic on their site.